Plasmids and Viruses

Guides, graphics and maps to help you get to know your plasmids and viruses.

Know your plasmid

We have compiled a Retroviral vector guide aimed at providing important information on the gammaretroviral and lentiviral vectors systems we use. This also contains information on the delta Env HIV-1 plasmids we use and on plasmids encoding full-length replication competent virus. We want to draw particular attention to the importance of understanding the various combinations of viral proteins encoded by these plasmids and the risks of inadvertently generating infectious virus. Please take care.

Retroviral Production and Plasmid Guide

'Know your plasmid' posters by John Walter. Poster No 2: 'It is your responsibility'

Maps of plasmids commonly used in the Towers Lab

Below are some of the plasmids used in the Towers Lab. Please feel free to download the maps or request the plasmids from us or XIP, UCLB's licensing portal.

Disclaimer

The sequences below are the best we can source. Unfortunately they are not always 100% accurate. Please let us know if you find any errors.

Plasmid	Maps
CMV-intron MLV moloney Gag Pol expression vector (packaging plasmid) From FL Cosset.	File hCMV-intron schematic File hCMV-intron sequence
CNCG MLV vector encoding CMV NEO CMV GFP	File CNCG map File CNCG sequence
CSGW Described by Bainbridge et al, Gene Ther 2001 Nov;8(21):1665-8	File pcsgw_map.pdf File Minutes_SSCC_Nov11.doc
HR-SIN CSGW PGK Puro HIV vector expressing GFP and puro from Lehner lab. Based on CSGW	File pHR-SIN CSGW PGK Puro schematic
EXN MLV vector encoding N-term double HA tag from Bieniasz Lab. See Zhang et al Virology 353:396-409.	File pEXN-MNCX map
pLai-GFP/Luc Full length HIV-1 ∆Env encoding GFP or Luc in place of Nef. See PMID 1683726.	File pLAI (pBru3ori-∆Env-luc2) map
pCIG3N / PCIG3B N and B tropic MLV packaging plasmids. Described in Bock et al 2000 J Virol 74:7422-7430	File pCIG3wt map
pMDG Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus G PROTIEN (VSV-G) Envelope expression plasmid	File pMDG map
SIV sm E041 cloned in an SIVmac293 based vector from Welkin Johnson.	File sivsm.pdf
SIV-Lacz SIVmac vector encoding LacZ from FL Cosset.	File pSIV LacZ schematic
siv-gfp SIVmac vector encoding GFP from FL Cosset.	File pSIV GFP map File pSIV GFP schematic
siv3+ SIVmac packaging plasmid encoding accessory genes from FL Cosset. Described in Negre et al Gene Therapy (2000) 7 pp1613-23	File SIV3+ map
psvIII Deleted HIV-1 used to express HIV-1 Env (gp160) from Joe Sodroski.	File pSVIII-Env map
svr HIV-2 molecular clone from Andrew Lever.	File pSVR map
SVR∆NB GAG-POL∆ENV (hiv2-pack) HIV-2 packaging plasmid encoding accessory genes. (We call it HIV-2 pack) from Andrew Lever.	File pSVR∆NB Gag-pol ∆Env map File pSVR∆NBPuro∆H schematic
hiv2-gfp / puro HIV-2 vector encoding either GFP or puro from Andrew Lever. Described in Griffin et al, J Virol, 2001 75(24):12058-69	File pSVR∆NBPuro∆H schematic
r9bal-env HIV Molecular clone R9 with PCR cloned macrophage tropic CCR5 using Env gene from HIV-1 Ba-L from Didier Trono	File R9 BaL Env HIV-1 map
hiv-siren Varient of HIV vector CSGW with the shRNA expression cassette from BD commercial vector Siren RetroQ. Clone shRNA oligos between BamHI and EcoRI design shRNA using BD site.	File pC-SIREN (HIVSIREN) map
pSIREN RETRO Q MLV shRNA vector	File psiren_retroq.pdf
SFXUC HIV-1 vector derived from CSGW by David Escors. Clone into SFFV position using BamH1, Not1 or Sal1	File sfxuc.pdf

Plasmid

Maps

CMV-intron

MLV moloney Gag Pol expression vector (packaging plasmid) From FL Cosset.

hCMV-intron schematic

hCMV-intron sequence

CNCG

MLV vector encoding CMV NEO CMV GFP

CNCG map

CNCG sequence

CSGW

Described by Bainbridge et al, Gene Ther 2001 Nov;8(21):1665-8

pcsgw_map.pdf

Minutes_SSCC_Nov11.doc

HR-SIN CSGW PGK Puro

HIV vector expressing GFP and puro from Lehner lab. Based on CSGW

pHR-SIN CSGW PGK Puro schematic

EXN

MLV vector encoding N-term double HA tag from Bieniasz Lab. See Zhang et al Virology 353:396-409.

pEXN-MNCX map

pLai-GFP/Luc

Full length HIV-1 ∆Env encoding GFP or Luc in place of Nef. See PMID 1683726.

pLAI (pBru3ori-∆Env-luc2) map

pCIG3N / PCIG3B

N and B tropic MLV packaging plasmids. Described in Bock et al 2000 J Virol 74:7422-7430

pCIG3wt map

pMDG

Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus G PROTIEN (VSV-G) Envelope expression plasmid

pMDG map

SIV sm

E041 cloned in an SIVmac293 based vector from Welkin Johnson.

sivsm.pdf

SIV-Lacz

SIVmac vector encoding LacZ from FL Cosset.

pSIV LacZ schematic

siv-gfp

SIVmac vector encoding GFP from FL Cosset.

pSIV GFP map

pSIV GFP schematic

siv3+

SIVmac packaging plasmid encoding accessory genes from FL Cosset. Described in Negre et al Gene Therapy (2000) 7 pp1613-23

SIV3+ map

psvIII

Deleted HIV-1 used to express HIV-1 Env (gp160) from Joe Sodroski.

pSVIII-Env map

svr

HIV-2 molecular clone from Andrew Lever.

pSVR map

SVR∆NB GAG-POL∆ENV (hiv2-pack)

HIV-2 packaging plasmid encoding accessory genes. (We call it HIV-2 pack) from Andrew Lever.

pSVR∆NB Gag-pol ∆Env map

pSVR∆NBPuro∆H schematic

hiv2-gfp / puro

HIV-2 vector encoding either GFP or puro from Andrew Lever. Described in Griffin et al, J Virol, 2001 75(24):12058-69

pSVR∆NBPuro∆H schematic

r9bal-env

HIV Molecular clone R9 with PCR cloned macrophage tropic CCR5 using Env gene from HIV-1 Ba-L from Didier Trono

R9 BaL Env HIV-1 map

hiv-siren

Varient of HIV vector CSGW with the shRNA expression cassette from BD commercial vector Siren RetroQ. Clone shRNA oligos between BamHI and EcoRI design shRNA using BD site.

pC-SIREN (HIVSIREN) map

pSIREN RETRO Q

MLV shRNA vector

psiren_retroq.pdf

SFXUC

HIV-1 vector derived from CSGW by David Escors. Clone into SFFV position using BamH1, Not1 or Sal1

sfxuc.pdf